A Lake Ariel man wanted for the armed robbery of an NBT Bank office in Wayne County on Monday is likely in the Scranton area and may still be driving the stolen SUV he fled in after the holdup, state police at Honesdale said Friday.
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State Attorney General Josh Shapiro vowed Thursday the arrest of seven current and former Lackawanna County Prison guards charged with having sex with female inmates is the “opening chapter” of an effort to unravel the abusive culture that fostered that behavior.
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Kayla Bickauskas started her project to help kids with cancer three years ago in her front yard.

Now, the 10-year-old Archbald resident can be found all over Lackawanna County, raising money one cup of lemonade at a time. Selling cold drinks and sweet treats, Kayla hosts fundrasiers through Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a worldwide organization that has raised more than $80 million toward childhood cancer awareness and research.

The fourth-grader at LaSalle Academy will set up “Kayla’s Lemon-Aid” stand at the Lackawanna County Courthouse on Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. Kayla’s stands will be set up at other locations occasionally throughout the summer including in front of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 232 Wyoming Ave., during Scranton’s monthly First Friday festivities; at LaSalle Academy in Jessup; and in front of Spirited Art, 253 Business Route 6, Dickson City.

“Every year we expand, and we will keep expanding until we’re doing lemonade every day,” says Kayla’s mom, Johnine Bickaus­kas. “We needed a prime location to draw the largest crowd. Who doesn’t want a nice glass of lemonade on their lunch break?”

Kayla, who has some minor health issues related to insulin, was inspired to help children with cancer through her own visits to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“I saw kids with hats on so I wanted to help them,” Kayla said. “I knew I wanted to get involved.”

Her stands are always donation-based. In return for each good grade, Kayla’s parents give her a dollar, which goes toward the supplies for the stand.

Along with “raising money and awareness for kids with cancer,” Kayla said her favorite parts of running her lemonade stand include “making different-colored lemonade.”

The lemonade stand has made Kayla a bit of a celebrity locally. It’s become common for people to recognize Kayla, who wears her hair in two big, fluffy pigtails tied with colorful ribbons, around town, Mrs. Bickauskas said.

“The funniest thing is, we’ll go somewhere and someone will come up to her and say, ‘You’re the lemonade girl, we were at your stand.’ The support of the community is just unbelievable,” Mrs. Bickauskas said.

What isn’t as surprising, Mrs. Bickauskas said, is her daughter’s commitment to raise money to help kids with cancer. Kayla is a big-hearted kid, she said, asking for money instead of birthday presents so she can help homeless people in New York City.

“I don’t want a toy, I’d rather give my money to them,” says Kayla.

Kayla has also raised money for Four Legged Friends selling apple cider, “Scooby Snacks” and animal treats at the blessing of the animals in St. Luke’s.

When Kayla grows up, she’d like to become a doctor and work with nonprofit Doctors Without Borders.

For more information on dates and times for Kayla’s Lemon-Aid, visit www.alexs

lemonade.org/mypage

/1116213.

Contact the writer: mrose@timesshamrock.com

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